Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Day of Silence "vs" Day of Truth

The National Day of Silencebrings attention to anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying and harassment in schools. This year’s event will be held in memory of Lawrence King, a California 8th-grader who was shot and killed Feb. 12 by a classmate because of his sexual orientation and gender expression. Hundreds of thousands of students will come together on April 25 [2008] to encourage schools and classmates to address the problem of anti-LGBT behavior.

VS

The "Day of Truth" is an official project of the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF), a legal alliance dedicated to defending the right to hear and speak the Truth. More specifically, ADF launched this project in 2005 to ensure the free speech rights of Christian students to present an opposing viewpoint to those organizations that promote homosexual behavior in the schools. In 2007, Focus on the Family and Exodus International joined the project, providing information and support regarding the theological, social, research, and religious ministry issues central to this debate. Neither these organizations nor participants in the Day of Truth are trying to force their views on anyone, but are merely exercising their First Amendment rights to present another side to this issue.

Some of the views they are "not trying to force on anyone," include their own "view" of The Day of Silence:

The Day of Silence is a national program of the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network (GLSEN), which asks students to remain silent for an entire day to express their support for the promotion of the homosexual agenda in the public schools. Unlike the Day of Silence, the Day of Truth does not encourage students to engage in activities that are likely to disrupt the school’s academic mission.

How does the Alliance Defense Fund define the “homosexual agenda” you ask?

Well, they’ve written a book on it. One of, if not the most thoroughly vilifying pieces of anti-GLBT literature I’ve ever had the displeasure of reading. Fortunately, they themselves, provide a review of that book, and thus, a definition of the "homosexual agenda":

Alan Sears and Craig Osten, of the Scottsdale-based Alliance Defense Fund, expose the homosexual agenda and its fight for "gay" rights for what it is - an unrestrained, no-holds-barred attack on the family and religious freedom.

And of course:

This book is not, however, about "bashing" homosexuals.

All that being the case, the ADF and supporters of their so-called Day of Truth, must then believe that any objection to anti-gay harassment and violence is an attempt to destroy “the family,” and religious freedom.

And given that their objection is to the very objection to harassment and violence itself, the ADF and their supporters must also believe that anti-gay harassment and violence is a protected aspect of their religious freedom.

The American Family Association, however, is taking a different approach, by encouraging parents to keep their kids home from school that day. No doubt to protect them from the threat of any deafening silence that could possibly lead to independent thought.

But just in case you still think a stance against violence is a stance against "the family" and religious freedom, you may want to check out this years Day of Silence Video for yourself.